Rite of Passage
by sasha1600
Summary: Tim and Abby’s daughter Leigh is home on leave and marks an unexpected milestone. Set in the Future Perfect universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Rite of Passage**

**Summary:** Tim and Abby's daughter Leigh is home on leave and marks an unexpected milestone. Set in the Future Perfect universe.

**Disclaimer:** Katie and Leigh are mine; the rest belong to other people.

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A/N: This is set in the Future Perfect universe, which features the twin daughters of Tim and Abby. This takes place the autumn after Leigh's graduation from the Naval Academy and commissioning as an officer. It follows draggon-flye's fic Silver Dollar Salute.

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Leigh watched as Gibbs hauled the turkey out of the oven and stabbed a thermometer into it to check that it was done. It wasn't actually Thanksgiving, but she had a three-day leave _now_, and it was close enough that they'd decided to have the full traditional meal while she could get home. Katie, whose grad school lifestyle was more flexible than her naval officer sister's duty schedule, had been happy to go along, and had joked about them celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving this year. It wasn't _that _early, but they did have to make do with the canned cranberry sauce because fresh berries weren't available yet in any of the local markets.

Satisfied that the bird was done, Gibbs moved it onto a platter. He glanced around the kitchen, taking in Tim's efficient final touches on the salad and Abby, roux in hand, descending on the roasting pan with the clear intention of making gravy from the drippings. Katie was still laying the table in the dining-room next door. Only Leigh wasn't doing anything at the moment, and he told her to mash the potatoes, the words sounding more like an order than a request.

She took two steps towards the drawer where he kept his kitchen gadgets, then suddenly stopped, crossing her arms in front of her chest and grinning at him.

'You know, I outrank you, Gunny,' she told him mischievously.

She'd taken her first salute from Gibbs after her commissioning ceremony, and had seen more than just pride in his eyes as she stood before him in her dress uniform, her ensign's bars newly pinned to her collar. She'd always felt a special connection with the man after whom she was named, and knew that he was proud of her decision to follow his example and pursue a military career. But, returning his salute, she'd realised that the bond between them had subtly shifted; they now shared a duty as well.

And this man, whom she'd grown up calling 'Uncle', who had been as much an authority figure as her parents, who had taken her over his knee more than once, was saluting _her_, acknowledging her authority over _him_. She'd _known_ that command came with responsibility, but she'd never really _felt_ it until that moment. And the idea that, if somehow by some surreal turn of events they found themselves in a combat situation together, _she'd_ be the one giving the orders, had shaken her to the core.

But now she was finally enough at ease with the idea of actually being an officer to be able to joke about it.

So, leaving the 'you can't tell me what to do anymore' unsaid, she giggled, spun on her heel, and headed towards the dining-room.

A moment later, she felt a sharp impact on the back of her head.

She yelped and turned around quickly.

'Smartass,' Gibbs said with a laugh, tousling her hair as he deposited the potato masher in her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Leigh looked indignantly around the room, outraged to see that her mother was openly laughing, and her father was trying hard to keep a straight face. She exchanged a shocked look with her sister, who had been about to fetch something from the kitchen and now stood frozen in the doorway. Neither of them had experienced one of Gibbs's infamous head-slaps before, although they'd occasionally seen him smacking Uncle Tony and, less often, their father, upside the head.

'Awww, Tim! Our baby's first Gibbs-slap!'

'Yeah... they grow up so fast....', her father replied, chuckling at the parody of the usual 'child's milestones' exchange. Suddenly, his face lit up and he added, 'Hey! Tony owes me fifty bucks!'

'Daddy! You _bet_ on whether Gibbs would _hit_ me?'

'Ummm.... actually, it was which one of you girls he would headslap first.'

'DiNozzo thought I'd have to smack Katie _before_ Leigh?' Gibbs asked, sounding incredulous.

'Hey!'

'He pointed out that you don't head-slap Abby, and Leigh's more like her, so he thought...'

Gibbs shook his head, his amusement at his former agents' wager clear. Leigh caught his eye and opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it when he raised one eye-brow at her and jerked his head in the direction of the steaming pot of potatoes still waiting for her attention.

A few minutes later, Leigh found herself alone in the kitchen with Gibbs. While she scooped the potatoes into a serving bowl, he stepped over to speak quietly to her.

'You might outrank me in the field, Leigh, but I won't hesitate to tan your hide when you deserve it, at home. And I hope you get a couple of COs who are willing to do the same thing when you screw up on duty. Like I did with my men.'

She looked up at him, shocked.

'You want me to be _spanked_ by my _commanding officer_?!' she asked, horrified by the prospect.

'If having an old-fashioned hard-ass CO who cares enough to make damn sure you learn from your mistakes keeps you from getting yourself killed, then yes, I want you getting your ass whipped when you screw up.'

'You can't be serious! The Navy doesn't allow...'

'A whole lot of things aren't exactly done according to the regs, Leigh. I was whipped when I was a Marine, and I took my belt to my men when I was a Gunny. And I know for a fact that the same thing happens in the Navy.'

Leigh was reeling. The idea that the official protocols that had been drilled into her would be so blithely ignored by an organisation that defined itself by rules was mind-blowing enough... and the idea of being spanked by a professional colleague was truly appalling. She knew that a combat unit was like family, and she knew also that Gibbs, who had always been part of her family, had been her parents' boss... and had spanked them when they had worked together. But she had a hard time believing she'd ever have _that_ close a connection with the people she worked with, and she couldn't imagine accepting a spanking from her current CO.

'And if you _don't_ have one, you can always come to me if you need to.'

'Huh?'

He couldn't possibly mean what she thought he did... could he?

'It's not just about making sure you learn from your screw-ups, Leigh. It's about making sure you can live with yourself afterwards. You're no good to your people if you're so consumed with self-doubt and guilt that you can't function. A good spanking can help you let go of that, and let you move on. If you don't have someone in your chain of command who's willing to offer you that when you need it, I will.'

'Gibbs, you can't seriously expect me to come to you and _ask_ you to spank me for something I've screwed up on base...'

'I think that, someday, you might.'

'Not a chance! I know how hard you spank!'

Gibbs smiled at her fondly, placing a gentle hand on her back and propelling her towards the dining-room door.


End file.
